Vettel to replace Alonso at Ferrari

Christian Horner announced that 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will move from Red Bull to Ferrari for the 2015 season to replace 2-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Russian Daniil Kvyat moving to Red Bull from Toro Rosso.

27 year old German Sebastian Vettel, who helped bring Red Bull Racing to dominance during the 2010-2014 seasons, will leave the Austrian team for Italy’s Scuderia Ferrari at the end of the 2014 Formula 1 World Championship in November. Vettel has driven for Red Bull since 2009, having previously driven for Red Bull junior team Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2007 and 2008. He entered Formula 1 with BMW Sauber during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Vettel made history in 2013, winning 9 consecutive races at the end of season. Vettel’s performance with Red Bull has been significantly worse since the start of the 2014 season, in large part due to the change in car regulations and designs. He has been outscored by his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in 10 of the 14 races already run this season. Vettel currently stands in 5th place in the drivers’ championship with 124 points.

Vettel will move to Scuderia Ferrari, where he will take the seat held for the past four years by Spaniard Fernando Alonso. Alonso, a 2-time world champion, has been linked by rumour to McLaren-Honda for the 2015 season. Alonso’s status at Maranello has been put into question recently due to a series of poor results, including a retirement on Lap 29 at the Italian Grand Prix in front of Ferrari’s devoted Tifosi.

Vettel will be replaced at Red Bull by Russian Daniil Kvyat, who is in his rookie season in Formula 1, driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2014. The 20 year old Russian currently stands in 15th place on the drivers’ championship with 8 points. He will join Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was promoted from Toro Rosso in 2014, has had a fantastic season currently standing in 3rd with 181 points having won the 2014 Canadian, Hungarian, and Belgian Grands Prix, and finishing in 3rd in Spain, Monaco, Great Britain, and Singapore.